Weft-carrier chute for automatic weft-replenishing looms.



M. L. SI'ONE.l WBPT CARRIER CHUTE FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS.

APPLITION FILED JULY 17, 1911. 1,082,051 Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. L. STONE.

WBFT CARRIER CHUTE POR AUTOMATIC WEFT RBPLBNISHING LOOMS.

APYLIOATION FILED JULY 17, 1911.

1,082,055 l Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

`\. :nf'l'l l) i; v, I il) l M50/20L Stone.

'TNTTEM STATES PATENT @FETCH MELVIN L. STONE, OF WATERVILLE, MAINE, ASSIGNOR T0 DRAPIER COMPANY, 0B' HDPEIDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATIQN OF MAINE.

WEET-CARRIER CHUTE FOR AUTOMATIC WEET-REXIJENISHING LOOMS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MnLviN L. STONE, of Waterville, in the county of Kennebec, in the State of Maine, have invented a lVeft- Carrier Chute for Automatic YVeft-Replenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification.

In automatic weft-replenishing .looms wherein the replenishment is eti'ected by ejecting the spent weft-carrier from the Shuttle and inserting a fresh weft-carrier in its place, it is the usual practice to slot the lay beneath the shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom for the downward cscape of the spent weft-carriers, and the spent weft-carriers are received within a receptacle provided for that purpose. It occasionally happens with such looms that the ejected weft-carriers are -so discharged that they fail to fall into the receptacle and, accordingly, either drop to the Hoor or sometimes upon moving parts of the loom with the result that many of the Wett-carriers are broken or injured.

' The special object of the present invention is to furnish a weft-carrier chute intermediate between the lay and the receptacle so that the spent weft-carriers discharged from the shuttle shall `with certainty be' directed into the receptacle.

' The present inyention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a `front view of a portion of the loom at the replenishing side', illustrating the lay, the immediately associated portions of the weft-eplenishing mechanism andthe weft-carrie chute, and the iupper part of the receptace bein shown in 4vertical longitudinalsectlon. 1g. 2 is a detailed section 1n the'plane indicated by the line 2-2 in F ig. 3, and illustrates the yielding mountin of the rear plate of the weftcarrier c` ute. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the lay and shuttle box at the replenishing side of the loom and through the receptacle and the intermediate weft-carrier chute, the immediately coperating portions of the'weft-replenishing mechanism being shown in side elevation, lthe section bein in the la. e indicated by the line 3-3 in gig 1. Vgig. 4 is a pers active view of the flexible lfront of the wet-carrier chute.

A' is the lay, and B is the shuttle occupying the shuttle box at the replenishin end of the lay. The lay'is slotted at a forte down- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application tiled July 17, 1911.

Patented Dec. 23, i913.

serial No. 638,880.

ward discharge of the weft-carriers of which one is shown at C within the shuttle. The spent weft-carrier is discharged simultaneously with the insertion of a fresh weftcarrler within the shuttle by means of a transferrer D. The transterrer is given its transferring movement whenever the transferrer dog E is lifted into the )ath of the bunter F carried by the lay, this elevation of the transferrer dog being automatically brought about whenever the condition of' the weft in the loom demands replcnishing. Fig. 3 shows the transferrer dog in uplifted osition and moved forward by the lay unter F. This fifrure shows the transferrer in the position which it occupies just as it has transferred a fresh weft-carrier into the shuttle, and the ejected spent weft-carrier is shown at C at the bottom of the receiving can or receptacle G. In all of these respects the construction, organization and mode of o eration are substantially as commonly emp oyed in the well-known Northrop loom as shown, for example, in United States Letters Patent No. 529,940, November 27, 1894. The present invention resides in the chute which receives the spent weft-carriers `as they fall from the shuttle through the lay slot a and which with certainty directs them into the receptacle G. This weft-carrier chute comprises two' rincipal members, namely, a directing gui e plate and a cover therefor.v The directing guide plate is shown at H and it is inclined downwardly and forwardly .from the lay to the mout of the receptacle G, as shown in Fig. 3. The transfer of Wett-carriers occurs when the lay' isat front center, as indicated in Fig. 3, and when the lay occupies this position the upper edge of the plate H isimmediately adjacent the rear wall of the lay slot a. Accordin 1y, when a weft-carrier is discharged from t e shuttle it drops on to this guide plate .and is directed thereby into the open mouth of the receptacle G. At each side ofthe guide plate are forwardly rojecting guards and J suitably arrange so as to prevent any endwise escape of the weftc'arriers as they roll or slide down the plate HL` The contour of the outer guard I 1s shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. It is important that this member of the chute comprising the parts ,l-l. l and J should be yieldmgly mounted so that no damage willbe caused in case of any obstruction existing between the lay and said member as, for eX- ample, may sometimes occur in case a fresh wett-carrier is improperly inserted within the shuttle or is prematurely discharged therefrom. Such a yielding mounting is shown in the drawings. As illustrated, these parts H, l and d are made oit a single piece of sheet metal and are fastened to a hub K which turns on a stud lli, carried by a iixed part of the loom frame. rlhis hub is connected with a spring M surrounding the stud L and also connected to collar b :fast on said stud. This spring normally retains the parts li, l and d in the position shown in Fig. 3, but permits their forward tilt in case of any blow at the rear.

llhe iront member or the chute comprises a yielding apron N, made of leather, canvas or other stid and durable, flexible material, and it is mounted upon the transferrer dog Fl, so as to rise and i'all therewith. As illustrated, the upper edge of the apron is folded over a wire and is secured thereto and this wire has an eye F at its inner end, through which 'passes a clamping bolt @3, which screws into the transterrer. dog E and clamps the retaining wire U ot the apron hl thereto. 'llhe apron hl hangs downwardl against the lower portion of the guide p' ate H and extends below the same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. From their line of contact the apron N and plate ll diverge upwardly, thereby presenting an enlarged open mouth for the chute to receive the falling wettcarriers. "ilhe yielding apron constitutes the entire front wall of the guide chute.

During the normal running of the loom, the transierrer dog o ccupies a low position out of reach of the lay bunter F and the apron N is likewise then out of reach of the la bunter, so that it is not struck thereby. en, however, the transiterrer dog is elevated into the path of the lay bunter,

the apron is likewise raised, thereby closing' the iront of the chute altogether, so that there is no possibility of a discharged weftcarrier escaping from the chute except at its bottom. When a wett-carrier is discharged itdrops into the chute and in falling encounters the lower tree portion of the yielding apron hl and pushes it aside and then drops into the receptacle Gr. rlhe apron N has the further oliice of retarding the descent of the wert-carrier so that it does not drop violently into the receptacle Gr. Both the apron N and the guide-plate yield. forwardly,` but the apron yields at each transfer, while the guide plate yields only in emergencies.

l claim:

i. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, in combination, a slotted lay and a bunter thereon; weit-replenishing mecha nism comprising a transterrer and a transnoeaoai ferrer dog, which is moved into the path of the lay bunter when the weft requires replenishment; and a guide chute adapted to receive spent i weft-carriers discharged through the slot ot the lay, said chute comprising a downwardly and forwardly inclined guide late with side flanges, said guide plate being yieldingly mounted so as to tilt forward should an emergency require, and a yielding flexible apron, supported by and moving with the transferrer dog, said apron constituting the front wall of said l chute and bearing near its lower portion upon the guide plate, said apron and guide plate diverging upwardly from their place oit contact.

2. An automatic wett-replenishing loom having, in combination, a slotted lay and a bunter thereon; wet-repl'enishing mechanism comprising a transferrer and a transferrer dog, which is moved into the path of the lay bunter when the weft requires replenishment; and a guide chute adapted to receive spent weft carriers discharged through the slot of the lay, said chute comprising a downwardly and forwardly inclined guide plate with side flanges, and a yielding apron, supported by and moving with the transferrer dog, said apron constituting the front wall of said chute and bearing near its lower portion upon the guide plate, said apron and guide plate dii/erging upwardly from their place of contact.

3. An automatic wet-replenishing loom having, in combination, a slotted lay and a bunter thereon; Ywei"t-replenishing mechanism comprising a movable transferrer, and a guide chute adapted to receive spent weftcarriers discharged through the wall ot the lay, said chute having an apron which is moved into position when the transterrer acts.

t., An automatic wett-replenishing loom having, in combination, a guide chute` for receiving and conveying spent ,weft-carriers discharged from the loom, said guide chute comprising a yieldingly mounted inclined guide plate with side flanges, and a yielding apron in front of said guide plate, said guide plate and apron diverging upwardly to present a wide entrance mouth, and said apron being operatively mounted so as to be raised when a spent weft-carrier is to be ref ceived in the guide chute.

5. An automatic wet-replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay slotted for the discharge or `spent lweft-carriers, a guide chute with its mouth below the lay slot for receiving and conveying spent wett-carriers discharged 'from the lay, said guide chute comprising a yieldingly mounted inclined guide plate, and a yielding apron in front of said guide plate, said guide plate and iis apron diverging upwardly to present a wide entrance mouth, said apron being operatively mounted so as to bel raised when a spent weft-carrier is to be received in the guide chute, and being attached near its upperl end with its lower end free, said lower free end normally resting upon the lower end of the guide plate.

6. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay slotted for the discharge of spent weft-carriers, a guide chute with its mouth below the la slot for receiving and conveying spent weit-carriers discharged from the lay, said guide chute comprising a yieldingly mounted inclined guide plate, and a yielding apron in front of said guide plate, said guide plate and apron diverging upwardly to present a wide entrance mouth, and said apron being attached near its upper end with its lower end free, said lower free end normally resting Aupon the lower end of the guide plate.

7. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay slotted for the discharge of spent weft-carriers, a guide chute with its mouth below the la' slot for receiving and conveying spent we t-carriers discharged from the lay, said guide chute comprising an inclined guide plate, and a yielding apron in front of said guide plate, said guide plate and apron diverging upwardly to present a wide entrance mouth, and said apron being attached near the upprer end with its lower endfree, said lower ee end normally resting upon the lower end of the guide plate.

8. An automatic. weft-replenshing loom having, in combination, a lay slotted for the discharge of spent weft-carriers, a guide chute with its mouth below the lay slot for receiving and conveying spent weit-carriers discharged from the lay, said guide chute comprising a guide plate, and a yielding apron in front of said guide plate and attached near its up er end with its lower end free, said lower i'ee end normally resting upon the lower end of the guide late.

9'. An automatic weft-replenisiing loom having, in combination, a lay slotted for the discharge of spent weft-carriers, a guide chute with its mouth below the lay slot for receiving and conveying spent weft-carriers discharged from the lay, said guide chute comprising a guide plate, and a yielding apron in front of said guide plate and attached near the upper end with its lower end ree.

10. An automatic weftreplenishing loom having, in combination, a lay slotted orthe discharge of spent weft-carriers, a guide chute with its mouth below the lay slot for receiving and conveying spent weft-carriers discharged from the lay, said guide chute comprising a guideplate and an apron in front of said guide plate and attached near the upper end with its lower end free.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto si ned my name in the presence of two subscri ing witnesses.

MELVIN L. STONE.

Witnesses:

D. P. FOSTER, ALBERT WADE. 

